Daughter of Konoha
by HighAlchemist
Summary: The Kyuubi was sealed into the body of a young infant...an infant girl. This is her tale, her story, her legend. What does the future hold for the the young kunoichi Naruko Uzumaki?
1. Enter Naruko Uzumaki

_Thirteen years ago, the nine-tailed demon fox, the Kyuubi, attacked the village of Konoha. It was a terrible beast, able to flatten mountains and create tsunamis with mere flicks of its tails._

_It slaughtered all in its path, until the legendary ninja known as the Fourth Hokage confronted the beast. Using his power, he sealed the Kyuubi in the body of a young infant - at the cost of his own life._

* * *

It was Graduation Day. But not for her.

The yellow-haired girl sat on the swing, looking longingly at the other kids and their families. Even after failing the test, there was no one to really comfort her, no one to forgive her for failing.

"Um, Naruko," a shy voice spoke, "I'm...sorry...you failed."

Looking up with a face that showed no signs of pain, Naruko replied, "No worries, Hinata! I'm used to it by now! It just means I'll do better next time!"

"Of course, Naruko!" the other girl smiled, silvery eyes sparkling, "I...I'm sure you'll do fine!"

"Lady Hyuuga!" A voice rang out. Waving goodbye, the dark-haired Hinata trotted off to head home, leaving Naruko alone. Again.

She knew Hinata meant well, but there little the other girl could do. She wasn't the brightest student, but she knew that the Hyuuga clan did not approve of their friendship.

"Next time..." she muttered to herself. Taking note of the setting sun. she stood up and started to head for home. _Next time_, she swore, _it would be different_. She would succeed. And someday, she would become the Hokage. And then, all the people who denied her would say...

"Hey, Naruko." She turned to see one of her teachers, Mizuki, standing there. "Can I talk to you for a bit?"

"Sure," Naruko shrugged. It wasn't like she had anything - or anyone - waiting on her. She began to follow Mizuki, wondering what this was about.

* * *

"I see she failed," the old man commented.

"Lord Hokage, I..." the other man stuttered.

"Relax, Iruka." the Hokage replied, "It is not your fault. She is not the best student, nor will she ever be. I do read my reports, you know."

"I didn't mean...sorry," Iruka slumped down, looking forlorn. The Hokage couldn't blame him. The girl named Naruko Uzumaki was a considerable problem, both in terms of the trouble she caused and the feelings she raised in the other villagers. The fact that the two factors seemed to feed into each other did nothing to help matters.

_Damn_, he thought, _I'm definitely getting too old for this_. He had already tried to step down once, and briefly had succeeded. But events - and politics - had forced him to resume the position. He knew he ought to find a successor. However, there was only one ninja he'd consider for the task, and that one would refuse outright.

So he held on, stubborn and old, a relic of a generation long passed.

"Lord Hokage?" Iruka asked.

"My apologies," the Hokage said, "Just keep an eye on Naruko, and don't let her do anything rash. There are enough bad feelings to go around as it is."

"Your will, Lord Hokage." In a flash, Iruka was gone. The Hokage let out a breath, and slowly took a seat behind his desk once more. _Definitely too old for this..._

* * *

Naruko crept through the darkened mansion, grinning at how easy this was. She was almost to the safe Mizuki had told her about. The two guards at the entrance had been so busy arguing over some "demon girl" (she had briefly wondered who that was), that it was ridiculously simple to slip past them.

Arriving at the door, Naruko tried it. It was locked. Pulling out some tools, she began to work at it.

"What are you doing here?" came a familiar voice. Naruko whirled to see the Hokage standing there, wearing night clothes.

"Oh, Lord Hokage, I have something to show you..." Naruko slowly began lifting the bottom of her top up.

The old man fell over, nose bleeding heavily.

Smirking at how perverted the man was, she resumed fiddling with the lock. A minute later and it was open, and she was working on the safe. A few minutes after that, and the safe was open.

A minute after that, Naruko was gone...along with the scroll that had been in the safe.

* * *

"She WHAT?"

"Now she's gone too far!"

The Hokage raised a hand, wanting to forestall any more arguments.

"Find her, and bring her and the scroll back here at once," he commanded, "Do not harm her. You all know the risks of doing so."

They all fell silent. A rush of wind blew down the street, as they all dashed off. The Hokage stood there for a moment, then went inside. He had his own methods of searching.

* * *

"You're kidding!" Iruka told Mizuki. Loudly.

"I wish I was," Mizuki answered, "I'll go search west down the lane, you cover the woods to the northwest." He darted off, and Iruka, after a moment, took off in the other direction.

He'd never seen Naruko do something like this. Sure, she was a real joker, who never took anything seriously. From time to time she did pull pranks, although never anything that would cause lasting harm. But to steal the Sealed Scroll from the Hokage's mansion...something just didn't seem right.

He was beginning to wonder if he should have passed her. After all, she had somehow snuck past the Hokage and his guards, a feat that would be difficult for many jonin. Iruka shook such thoughts out of his head. The Hokage wouldn't approve.

Looking down, he noticed a number of crushed and bent branches. It seemed he had found Naruko's trail. It wasn't hard, as she had apparently abandoned stealth for speed. However, there were limits to how fast she could move. He predicted he would catch up to her in a few minutes.

His pursuit came to a sudden halt as he spotted her standing below him in the forest, holding the missing scroll. Leaping down from the tree branches, Iruka glared at Naruko, who was...smiling?

"Iruka-sensei!" the girl said, clearly delighted, "Glad you found me!"

"Naruko..." Iruka began, "I know you were frustrated with the exam results, but why did you steal the scroll?"

"About that..." Naruko ran a hand through her short, spiky hair. "You'll believe what I say, right?"

"Of course I will," Iruka said, "Just don't make up outrageous lies."

Naruko swallowed. "Well, it's not a lie, but it's kind of outrageous..."

* * *

"Get to the point!" Iruka yelled. Naruko winced. She wished he hadn't shouted so loud. She knew he would probably been angry, but any unwanted attention could make her plan fail.

"Mizuki told me to steal it," she stated.

"What?" Iruka blinked.

"He told me if I learned a jutsu from the scroll, you'd pass me. But since me learning that would mean I would have to steal it, something seemed wrong. I think he was trying to trick me."

"Then why did you steal it?" Iruka stared at her, confused.

"Let me put it this way," Naruko said, "Who'd believe me if I went and told someone? I had to get Mizuki to expose himself, so I stole the scroll."

"Wait," Iruka spoke slowly, "That means you were planning on - get down!" He flung himself against Naruko, knocking her aside and sending her sprawling.

* * *

The Hokage grimaced as he saw what happened. To think there was a traitor in the Academy, manipulating someone like Naruko to suit his own ends. Standing up, he began to pace.

He wished he could do something, but there were no other shinobi anywhere near the forest where Naruko had headed. And with most of them scattered, he didn't have a good way to contact them.

If he weren't Hokage, he would have gone out himself, and hunted Mizuki down. But the binds of politics restrained him. Again.

He'd just have to hope and trust Iruka and Naruko to resolve the situation somehow. Sighing, he sat down and resumed watching through his crystal ball.

* * *

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruko screamed, staring at the injured man. Iruka had been hit by four different kunai, and crouched on the ground, bleeding.

"Damn, why'd you have to get in the way?" Mizuki's voice rang out. Naruko looked up to see Mizuki standing there, grinning wickedly.

This was not going according to plan. Her original idea was for Mizuki to reveal his intentions, then have Iruka ambush him. How had he gotten here so fast?

"Give me the scroll, Naruko," Mizuki said, "I'd rather not have to kill you."

"Stuff it!" Naruko shouted, standing up. She looked around, trying to figure out if she should flee. She didn't want to leave Iruka behind, but...

"Why defend the Leaf?" Mizuki chuckled, "They lied to you your whole life, you know."

"What?" Naruko was stunned.

"No!" Iruka shouted, staggering to his feet.

"There is a rule in Konoha, a rule that everyone knows...except you." Mizuki's grin widened even further. "This rule dates back to 13 years ago, when the Kyuubi attacked the village."

"What rule?" Naruko asked.

"The rule to never mention that you are the Kyuubi."

"What?" Naruko repeated, trying to figure this out.

"You ever wonder why everyone shunned you?" Mizuki laughed, "They all know you're a demon, a monster! Even Iruka hates you! You killed his parents, after all!"

"No," she whispered. It explained everything. All the angry gazes and snide comments when they thought she wasn't looking. All the times all the others her age shunned her. "No..."

"And now you know the truth," Mizuki concluded, producing a large shuriken. "Now you know...why no one will miss you!" He threw it at Naruko.

Naruko closed her eyes, waiting for the impact. Instead, she felt something soft strike her, knocking her down again. Looking up, she gasped.

"Iruka-sensei!" she yelled, realizing he'd taken the attack for her again. The shuriken was embedded in his back, as he crouched over her.

"Naruko...run..." he gasped out. Naruko paled, realizing she had no choice. As Iruka collapsed to the side, she jumped up and fled.

* * *

_This was getting bad_, the Hokage thought. Revealing the secret of the Kyuubi to Naruko was very dangerous. The techniques written on the Sealed Scroll were all forbidden, and some of them were unsealing jutsu.

It would be highly unlikely for Naruko to be able to use them, but as Hokage, he had to consider it as a possibility. If that happened, then he'd have no choice but to resort to using that jutsu. Given what had happened the last time it had been used, he hoped it would not come to that.

Once again, all he could do was wait. The search teams had not contacted him yet, so he guessed they were nowhere near Naruko.

One way or the other, this would soon be settled.

* * *

Mizuki grinned as he finally caught up to Naruko. With the Transformation Jutsu he had active, he was confident he could get the scroll very easily.

"Give me the scroll!" he called out to the girl, "Hurry, before Mizuki catches up!"

Naruko jumped sideways, rebounded off a tree trunk, leaping at him. Before Mizuki could react, he found himself punched away.

"How?" he blurted out, his jutsu fading, "How did you know I'm not Iruka?"

"Simple," said the figure, releasing a similar jutsu, "I'm Iruka!"

* * *

Naruko crouched behind a tree, hearing the confrontation between Iruka and Mizuki.

"Why would you turn into something you hate?" Mizuki said, "Fool."

"To...protect the Leaf," Iruka answered, "To protect...my student...

"You are an idiot," Mizuki chuckled, "Naruko is like me. She'll use to power of the scroll to get revenge for the years of deception. There's no way the Kyuubi would pass up this chance."

_Use the scroll?_ Naruko thought. She could open it and learn a technique, but then...she'd be a monster. But she didn't see a way she could defeat Mizuki.

_Maybe this was for the best..._

"True, the Kyuubi wouldn't," Iruka said, "But Naruko...she would."

_Iruka-sensei still has faith in me_, Naruko realized. Even despite the Kyuubi, despite everything, he still believed in her.

She opened the scroll, reading through the jutsu techniques faster than anything she'd ever done in her life. Even if she was a monster, she would protect Iruka.

* * *

"You're really pathetic," Mizuki sneered.

Iruka grimaced. It had been a long time since he'd been this badly injured. He guessed his work at the academy had left him soft.

"I am a shinobi of the Leaf," he grunted, "So is Naruko. You...are just a traitor."

"You know, I was going to kill Naruko first," Mizuki sighed, "But I've changed my mind." He pulled out another large shuriken. "Now, you die!" He sprang forward, spinning the bladed weapon rapidly.

Iruka sighed. So this was how it ended...

A blurred shape sprang out of the trees, hitting Mizuki before he got anywhere near Iruka, sending him flying.

Naruko, Iruka thought, why did you come out? "Run away!" he gasped.

The girl landed, shouting, "Don't you touch Iruka-sensei!"

"Heh," Mizuki chuckled as he stood back up, "You shouldn't have done that. I'll kill you in one attack!"

"Try it!" Naruko answered, "I'll bring one thousand times the pain!"

"Then do it, you monster!" Mizuki laughed insanely.

Naruko made a handsign. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

A burst of smoke filled the clearing. When it faded, it revealed row after row of clones. Hundreds of them, all standing there, glaring at Mizuki.

To master such a jutsu, Iruka thought to himself, in so short a time...it was really possible, despite her below average grades, for Naruko to someday become Hokage with that kind of skill.

"You were going to kill me?" All of the clones spoke simultaneous, their voices echoing through the forest. "Why aren't you attacking?"

"Uh...how..." Mizuki stammered.

"Then I'll start!" the clones shouted as they all leapt towards Mizuki.

He barely had time to scream.

* * *

Naruko looked down at Mizuki's battered, unconscious body. So that's it then, she thought. While it had been satisfying beating up Mizuki, this war probably it.

"So I'm a monster then," she said slowly.

"No...you're not," Iruka answered slowly, sitting against a nearby tree.

"I opened the scroll," Naruko's voice shook, "Just like Mizuki said I would."

"You didn't do it for revenge, though," Iruka explained, "You did it...to protect me. The Kyuubi would never do such a thing. That's the kind of thing...Naruko Uzumaki would do."

Naruko gaped for a second, thinking hard. Maybe a monster wouldn't protect people. Maybe she wasn't a monster after all.

"Naruko..." Iruka spoke up, "Let me give you something."

She watched, stunned, as he undid his own headband and tossed it to her. _Wait...did this mean?_

"Congratulations," Iruka smiled, "You pass."

"I'm...a genin now?' Naruko blinked, unable to believe it. Had he really just graduated her, then and there?

"Yes," Iruka grinned, "Now...we need to get back."

* * *

"Lord Hokage," the jonin reported, "We are unable to find any sign of Naruko Uzumaki in the 5th District."

"The same is true in the 7th District!"

"She's not in the 4th!"

"Relax," the Hokage said, putting up a hand. "She is on her way back now. There was a traitor at the academy, who was the one truly responsible for the scroll's theft. He attempted to pin the blame on Naruko. He has been dealt with, and the ANBU will take him into custody shortly."

"Yes, Lord Hokage."

"You and you," the Hokage gestured, picking a pair of searchers, "Go out and escort Naruko Uzumaki and Iruka to the hospital. Iruka was injured, and there is a chance Naruko may be as well."

"Your will, Lord Hokage," the two said as they departed.

It was a little white lie, hiding the fact that it really was Naruko who had stolen the scroll. He didn't like it, but then again, it wouldn't be the first time he did something as Hokage that he didn't like. Besides, it was preferable to the alternative of creating even more ill will towards Naruko.

Plus, he _really_ didn't want to have to explain how Naruko had gotten past him.

* * *

Iruka did not like being cooped up in the hospital. However, he knew he had lost quite a lot of blood. He'd been lucky, he supposed - none of Mizuki's attacks had hit him in any vital spots.

"You have a guest," the nurse spoke from the doorway. Iruka turned his head to see the Hokage standing there.

"Lord Hokage!" he stammered, "I-"

"Calm down," the Hokage told him, then turned to the nurse, "Can you leave for a minute?" After she was gone, he continued. "Good job on handling the situation in the forest."

"Thank you," Iruka answered, relaxing.

"I thought I would let you know that I'm keeping a lid on exactly what happened," the Hokage explained, "The only people who know the truth are myself, you, Naruko, and Mizuki. I'd appreciate it if you kept it that way."

"I won't let you down." Iruka nodded.

"Good," the Hokage said, "We need more people who are loyal to Konoha. Which is why I'm letting Naruko's promotion to genin stand."

"I see." Iruka had to guess the Hokage had come the same conclusion that Naruko had: that there was no one who would believe a warning of Mizuki's treachery, coming from Naruko.

"Now if you excuse me, I have paperwork to do," the Hokage said, "The nurses told me you'd be out of here tomorrow, but try to take it easy."

Iruka nodded, and watched as the Hokage departed. Satisfied, he closed his eyes.

* * *

**Author's Note: **After years of hiatus, I'm back! Rather than try to pick up the Legend of Mila, I thought I'd ease back into this by trying something else.

Yes, this is another female Naruto fanfic. I know there are a ton of them out there. Still, I figured as long as I do a good job, it'll be worth reading. Plus, I plan on including my own unique twists, so there is something to look forward to.

I will note in advance I am avoiding using most Japanese honorifics and other terms. I'm keeping this mostly in English. It's a lot easier for me when I don't have to double-check such things to see if I'm making a mistake. Bear with it, and...

...enjoy the reading!


	2. Team 7 Assembles

"Are you sure this is the picture you want?" the Hokage asked, shaking his head.

"Yeah," Naruko said. _Just be glad I decided not to go with my original idea of face paint_, she thought. _I think you can live with me giving two thumbs up._

"Whatever," the Hokage told her, looking like he didn't want to argue the point further, "You're cleared to go. Tomorrow morning, report to the Academy - your normal classroom - for your team assignment."

"Right," Naruko grinned, "Thanks!" She turned to leave.

"Hey, old man," came a voice from the doorway, "Fight me!"

* * *

The Hokage looked over to see a kid dart into the room, holding a kunai in one hand. He dashed towards the Hokage...only to trip on the long scarf he was wearing.

"Blast, a trap!" the kid complained. The Hokage sighed, his hand covering his face. His grandson, acting like he always did.

"There were no traps," Ebisu pointed out, walking into the room, "Konohamaru, what did I tell you about doing such things?"

The kid turned, and spotted Naruko. "You did this!" he shouted, pointing at her. Ebisu looked over at Naruko, sneering. It wasn't hard for the Hokage to guess what he was thinking.

Naruko, paying Ebisu no heed, walked up and promptly bopped the kid on the head.

"Ow!"

"It wasn't my fault, kid," Naruko told him, "You might want to ditch the scarf, if you keep tripping on it."

"No way!" he protested. Naruko shrugged, and walked past the boy, leaving the office.

The Hokage sighed, "Can you take him elsewhere, please?"

"At once, Lord Hokage!" Ebisu grabbed Konohamaru and hauled him off.

* * *

Ebisu really disliked the Kyuubi brat. Naruko was as annoying as they came, and to think what was inside her...he had been disappointed to find out she had become a genin.

"Come on," he said, leading Konohamaru out of the Hokage's office. There was no need to interrupt official business.

"Ebisu-sensei," Konohamaru asked, "Who was that girl?"

"A nuisance, young master," he answered, "Come on, you don't want to be late for your lesson."

"A nuisance, huh?" Konohamaru said thoughtfully as they walked down the hall, "Maybe..."

_Good_, Ebisu thought. The last thing he needed was the Hokage's grandson hero-worshiping someone like that.

* * *

Naruko wondered what was up with that kid. Trying to attack the Hokage like that was weird.

In a way, Konohamaru reminded her of herself when she was younger. She remembered how many times she'd caught her pigtails on branches and bushes while training. Eventually, she'd wised up and had her hair cut short. Thus her advice about not wearing the scarf.

Anyway, she was bored. There was nothing for her to do until tomorrow. While normally she would take the time to play a joke on someone, she doubted it would look good for a genin to do something like that.

She yawned, walking down the street. She supposed she could go train a little. After all, becoming Hokage was not something that would be easy. There were no shortcuts, after all.

"Uh, Naruko." She turned to see Hinata standing there. "Would you...like to go get some ramen? I know you have to be upset after..." Her voice trailed off for a moment as she saw the headband Naruko was now wearing. "Did you.."

"Of course I did!" Naruko boasted, "I never give up! And now I'm a genin!"

"That's...wonderful!" Hinata smiled, "Congratulations."

"Well, we can still go over to Ichiraku," Naruko suggested impishly, "You know, to celebrate."

"Right!" Hinata nodded.

* * *

"So Mizuki-sensei was...a traitor?" Hinata could hardly believe it. He'd always seemed so nice to her.

"Yeah, he tried to kill Iruka-sensei and me," Naruko grinned, "But I pounded him flat!"

"Incredible," Hinata murmured. Naruko was already so strong...unlike her. She had a long way to go before she could hope to do things like that.

"So, you heard we're getting assigned to teams tomorrow, right?" Naruko paused to slurp up a long strand of ramen noodles. "Who do you want to be on a team with?"

"Um...you," Hinata said, "And uh..." She blushed, ducking her head.

"Kiba, right?" Naruko chuckled.

"...yes..." Hinata felt her face grow even hotter.

"Heh, that would be fun, wouldn't it? Just don't get too distracted," Naruko commented, "You don't want to be like the other girls in our class. Sasuke this, Sasuke that...ugh, what's so special about that guy?"

"I...don't know," Hinata said, "He always seems...gloomy." While she did feel sorry for the solitary ninja, she didn't think there was anything she could do about it.

"Well, gloomy doesn't make you a good ninja," Naruko observed, "Anyway...check, please!"

* * *

"See you later, Hinata!" Naruko called out, then began to walk home. The sun was beginning to set.

_Well, there went my training time_, she thought. Oh well, it didn't matter anyway. She'd have plenty of opportunities to train in the days to come.

She ignored the glares of the villagers that she walked past. _Go ahead and look at me that way_, Naruko thought. _I'm a genin. Someday, I will be Hokage. And then, you will all respect me._

She wondered how they'd feel if they had a demon fox stuck inside their body. If they knew what it was like, they wouldn't act the way they did.

It was kind of stupid anyway. For now, she'd head home, and relax a little. After all, tomorrow was likely to be a long day.

* * *

"Lord Hokage, are you certain about these assignments? It's not exactly policy."

The Hokage sighed. "Look, the Nara clan would raise too much of a fuss if we did it the normal way. We have no choice but to put Shikamaru Nara on that team, instead of on the same team as Sasuke Uchiha."

"But having two kunoichi on one team is..." the man protested.

"Uncommon, but it has happened in the past." The Hokage was tired of all the traditionalists. He might be old, but he wasn't that stubborn. "Just deliver that to the Academy at once."

"Yes, Lord Hokage." The man exited the room, carrying the folder with the genin assignments.

The Hokage stood up, feeling his back pains act up yet again. Normally, these assignments weren't a problem. But with multiple conflicting standards, one of them had to go. And personally, he thought it was a stupid rule, sticking the genin with the lowest grades on the same team as the one with the highest.

The solution - assigning the second lowest instead - had been his idea of a compromise. But some people just didn't want to compromise. They insisted on doing things the same way, every time.

_At least Danzo wasn't nosing around in all this_, he thought bitterly as headed off to get some sleep.

* * *

Naruko walked into the classroom, feeling pumped. Ignoring the astonished glances of the other genin, she took a seat among the others. No matter what they said, she had earned it.

She was just settling in when she heard a pair of familiar voices. _Oh no, not those two..._

"I'll get there first!"

"You wish, forehead girl!"

"What did you call me, pig girl?"

"You heard me! And you're the bigger pig!"

The two burst into the classroom doorway, struggling to get through. They both made it at the same time, falling flat on their faces.

"See?" Sakura grunted, "I was here first."

"Ha," Ino retorted, "I clearly won."

_Idiots_, Naruko thought to herself.

* * *

Sakura got up and brushed herself off. After all, she had to look good for Sasuke.

Darting forward, she forced her way past Naruko and sat down right next to the other ninja. As usual, Sasuke looked both bored and cool.

_Wait a second_, she thought, turning. What was Naruko doing here? Sakura had heard that the yellow-haired girl had failed to graduate.

_It didn't matter_, she decided. There was no way that they would put a loser like Naruko on the same team as her.

As the rest of the class filed in, Sakura forced herself to pay attention as Iruka-sensei followed them in. This was the important part.

* * *

"Congratulations on becoming genin," Iruka spoke, "As per customs, you will now be assigned to a team. Each team consists of three genin and a single jonin to act as your leader and sensei. You were all carefully selected to best fit with your teammates."

He paused, letting this sink in. He knew a lot of people were initially hesitant about who they were assigned to work with. However, the instructors and village elders had gotten better at balancing teams for skill. So it was rare that such complaints lasted long.

"Without further ado," he continued, "I will now announce the teams. Team 1 will consist of..."

* * *

Naruko waited as the teams were called out. _Finally_, she thought. She couldn't wait to actually go on missions.

"Team 7 will consist of..." Iruka paused, "Naruko Uzumaki!"

Naruko grinned, fighting the urge to shout.

"Sakura Haruno!"

Naruko groaned. She heard Sakura groaning too.

"And Sasuke Uchiha!"

_Great, _she thought sarcastically as Sakura cheered. Sakura was annoying enough as it was. Oh well, she'd just have to make the best of it. After all, they'd put her on this team for a reason.

"Your sensei will be Kakashi Hatake. You will meet him this afternoon in room 2-E."

* * *

_Aw_, Hinata let out a sigh, _I wanted to be on the same team as Naruko._

"Team 8 will consist of...Hinata Hyuuga!"

_So this is my team?_

"Shino Aburame!"

She looked over at Shino, who as always wore dark glasses and a long gray cloak. She didn't know anything about him.

"And Kiba Inuzuka!"

Hinata felt her face grow hot.

"Your sensei will be Kurenai Yuhi, and you'll meet her this afternoon in room 2-F."

* * *

Naruko grinned at Hinata, who was too busy blushing to notice. At least Hinata had gotten half of what she wanted.

Maybe, if she was lucky, Sakura would turn out alright. Maybe she ought to try to be friendly later.

"Team 10 will consist of...Shikamaru Nara! Choji Akamichi! And Ino Yamanaka!"

Heh, so Shikamaru and Choji got to be on the same team as well. Those two were inseparable.

"Asuma Sarutobi will be your sensei. Meet him this afternoon in room 3-B."

Naruko leaned back and waited as the other teams were announced. She wondered what kind of person this Kakashi would be like. Hopefully, the cool kind..

* * *

Grumbling as he exited the classroom, Sasuke was not happy.

Stuck on a team with those two stupid girls...he hoped they wouldn't hold him back. If they did, he'd have to deal with them.

At least Naruko didn't seem as useless as Sakura. While they both were incompetent, Naruko actually was decent at strategy, if unorthodox. He could make use of that.

Either way, he would accomplish what he set out to do.

Itachi _would_ die.

* * *

"Hey, Sakura," Naruko waved as she jogged towards her, "Want to go get some ramen?"

Sakura blinked. _What was Naruko trying to do?_ She had planned to go meet up with Sasuke, and ask him to go have lunch. She could understand Naruko trying to beat her to it...but to ask her to go eat together instead? It didn't make sense.

"Let me go ask Sasuke first," she said cautiously.

"Good idea!" Naruko grinned, "Let's go look for him!"

_Together?_ Sakura was really confused now. Naruko had never spent any time with anyone but Hinata or Iruka-sensei before. Not that she had cared that much.

This had to be about being on the same team then. And as long as Naruko wasn't chasing Sasuke herself, Sakura supposed it was okay to be friendly.

"Okay," she nodded, and off they went.

* * *

Naruko had barely walked half a street with Sakura when her stomach began to rebel. She had no idea why it happened, but one moment it was fine, and the next it hurt worse than anything she could remember

"Ugh," she grunted, feeling her abdomen cramp. She...she had to go now, before even worse things happened. She ran off, ignoring Sakura, and clutching her belly the whole time.

She just hoped she could find a bathroom fast enough. If not...Naruko didn't want to think about it.

* * *

"So she lives in a place like this?" Kakashi commented.

"Unfortunately, yes," the Hokage said, glancing around the messy apartment. The whole place resembled a pigsty more than any human's house. Trash was scattered on the floor and even the table, along with dirty clothes. The whole place smelled of sweat and mold, and even the Hokage - who had smelled the blood and gore of more than one battlefield - was disgusted.

"This milk...is a week out of date," Kakashi noted, picking up an empty carton off the table.

The Hokage just sighed. Naruko was not a neat person, that much was obvious. Hopefully Kakashi could instill some discipline into the teenager, and help her focus. They both knew the consequences if he failed.

"Just make sure she is tested correctly," he told Kakashi, "I know it might be tempting for a number of reasons, but we still need to make sure she becomes a skilled kunoichi."

"Right, right," Kakashi nodded, and in a flash, headed out. The Hokage sighed again, and left the room, turning the light off as he left.

* * *

Sakura could not believe Naruko had ditched her like that. It didn't make sense, but then again Naruko had always seemed odd.

It didn't matter either way, as she had just spotted Sasuke walking along on the road ahead. She ran up to him. "Sasuke, want to go eat lunch?"

"I just ate," he told her.

"Okay, want to hang out?" she asked, feeling a little upset.

"Get lost," Sasuke stated, and walked off. She stared, confused. Did he honestly not want to spend any time with her? Sakura sighed and turned. She might as well get something to eat.

* * *

Naruko groaned as she walked into the classroom. She hadn't gotten anything to eat, and her stomach was still bothering her a little.

Looking around, she saw that Sasuke and Sakura had both already arrived and were waiting. Apparently their sensei had not gotten here yet.

Taking a seat, Naruko wondered where the heck this late sensei was. She knew she herself was late, although she had a good excuse. For a minute, she was tempted to play a prank. Maybe the old eraser on the door trick...

No, she didn't really feel like doing that. It always had been a bit of a pain trying to reach, due to her height. Coupled with her stomach issues...not a good idea.

She sat back and waited. Thankfully, it didn't take long.

The door opened to reveal a skinny man with gray hair. He wore his headband tilted over one eye, and had a mask covering the lower part of his face. So this was Kakashi.

"Hmmm, you seem like an interesting bunch," Kakashi said, "Let's step outside, and we can introduce ourselves."

* * *

Kakashi had to admit the three were an odd bunch. Sasuke had the look of someone who only cared about his goals, and saw other people as a means to that end. Sakura was a typical lovestruck girl...a fact that brought back more than a few painful memories for him.

As for Naruko...she seemed generally cheerful, if a little more quiet than he had expected. Still, she had potential, as did all three. _Fourth Hokage, I definitely won't let you down.__  
_

"Let's start the introductions, then," Kakashi said, "You can tell me stuff like hobbies, likes, dislikes, dreams, and so on."

"Hey, why don't you start first?" Naruko insisted.

"Yeah, I don't know about you..." Sakura agreed. Kakashi resisted the urge to smirk at the odd glance Naruko gave Sakura.

"Okay, I'm Kakashi Hatake. I don't feel like discussing my likes or dislikes. As for dreams for the future...well, I have a lot of hobbies," he told them, noncommittally, "That sound good?"

"So, we learned nothing but his name," Sakura grumbled. Kakashi could tell the other two weren't exactly amused either.

"Moving on, what about you?" he changed the subject, "Let's start on the right," He pointed at Naruko.

* * *

"I'm Naruko Uzumaki," she answered cheerfully, "I like ramen, either from a cup or from a restaurant. Although I hate having to wait on it to cook..."

"Ramen, huh?" Kakashi commented.

"Anyway, my dream is to become Hokage! Then the villagers will respect me!" She tweaked her headband, studying Kakashi's face. His expression remained neutral. "Oh, and I guess jokes are a hobby for me."

"Whatever," Sasuke said, "Sasuke Uchiha. I don't really like anything. I also don't really have a dream...I guess you could call it a goal...an ambition. I want to revive the Uchiha clan...and to kill a specific person."

_Wait...kill? _Naruko blinked, surprised. That seemed a little...excessive. Looking across, she could see Sakura blushing. _Of course, she'd only see it as a sign of coolness._

"And last, you," Kakashi spoke.

"Oh, I'm Sakura Haruno!" she said, "The person I like...oh, my dream for the future..." She broke off, blushing heavily. Naruko resisted the urge to groan.

* * *

Sasuke shook his head, annoyed at the other two. They weren't exactly the best teammates, but he'd just have to live with them.

"Tomorrow, we will begin our work," Kakashi suddenly said, "And by work, I mean a training exam."

"Training exam?" Naruko asked.

"A super difficult training exam, where you have to face off with me." Kakashi said, "You only have a 1 in 3 chance of even passing it."

"What? We got tested enough at the academy!" she protested. Sasuke had to admit he wasn't exactly happy with the prospect either.

"That was just to determine if you had enough skill to make it this far." Kakashi looked at each of them. "Be out there first thing tomorrow morning. Oh, and don't try to eat breakfast, you'll only make yourself sick. Here are the details." He passed out pieces of paper to each of them.

Sasuke read it quickly. So, the exam was held near one of the training grounds. _Fair enough_, he thought.

"See you tomorrow!" Kakashi said cheerfully, and headed off. Sasuke turned to go home as well. Tomorrow was certainly going to be an interesting day.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Took me a while to write this one, because I was busy with real life stuff.

Don't worry if you aren't seeing any major differences from canon just yet. The real meat in that area starts to come in the next chapter. I promise!

And yes, Naruko is slightly shorter in this fic than canon Naruto (by 1-2 inches). That will probably come up again later, heh.

Enjoy!


	3. The Bell Test

"YOU'RE LATE!" Naruko and Sakura yelled simultaneously at Kakashi as he walked up along the pond's shore. Sasuke said nothing, but scowled all the same.

"Sorry," he said, surveying the training grounds, "Anyway, shall we begin?" There was no need to tell them where he'd been. It would only make them that much more reluctant to step forward as genin.

He pulled out the two small bells, watching as they chimed in the breeze before hooking them on his belt. "The test is straightforward. You have to take one of these bells from me before lunch to pass. You will not be allowed to eat until you do," Kakashi paused, letting that sink in, before continuing, "You probably should come at me with the intent to kill, or you will not succeed. We begin on my mark."

The three young genin crouched. Kakashi noted Naruko started to reach for her belt pouch, but stopped. _Eager, isn't she?_

"Go!" he yelled, and the three scattered.

* * *

Naruko's stomach grumbled as she darted up a nearby tree. Now she knew why Kakashi had told them not to eat. _Great, sensei is trying to starve us into defeat._

She turned and watched Kakashi from her hiding place. He hadn't moved...and then he reached around into one of his pouches. She readied a kunai, prepared to attack if he was going to do the same.

To her complete surprise, he pulled out a book and began to read. _So, he's that confident...and probably that good. _Naruko shook her head, and began to form handsigns. If this were going to work, she'd need all the help she could get.

* * *

Sasuke crawled underneath a bush, studying Kakashi. He'd decided to wait for the right opportunity, when the man was distracted, before striking.

He readied his shuriken and kunai, deciding a ranged attack would be best. But first, someone had to attack.

A rustling of leaves alerted him, and he turned to see Naruko leap down, charging straight at Kakashi. _While the frontal attack was stupid, this could be my chance_, he thought, waiting patiently.

* * *

Kakashi blinked as Naruko jumped forward, landing in a crouch before launching a kick at Kakashi's waist. Faster than Naruko could see, he sprang around behind her, readying that technique. He hated having to use it, but it seemed necessary.

"Thousand Years of-" he started, then barely leaped out of the way as Naruko - or a clone thereof - just missed kicking him from behind. _Shadow clones, huh? _Apparently Naruko had a few tricks up her sleeve.

Grabbing the clone's arm, he tossed her into the pond, just in time to catch a punch thrown by the original Naruko. Without missing a beat, he tossed her in the pond too.

Looking out over the pond, Kakashi mentally counted. _3...2...1...now. _He quickly performed the substitution jutsu, switching places with a log just before a barrage of shuriken hit him.

From his new position, he could see Sasuke briefly gaping with surprise, before he fled. It was surprising, he thought, that Sakura immediately emerged from her hiding spot to follow him.

Standing up, he turned to follow them...only to hear a splashing sound and Naruko yelling. Several Narukos yelling.

* * *

Jumping forward, Naruko and her two clones flung kunai. Kakashi ducked to dodge them, exactly as she had expected. Without stopping they all ran towards the jonin, all readying their fists.

Before they even got close, Kakashi threw his foot around in a roundhouse kick, dispelling the clones and knocking her back. Again, that was basically what she had planned.

Suddenly, one of the kunai she had thrown turned into Naruko. She grinned as she watched the clone close with the off-balance Kakashi. If this worked...

* * *

Sakura had lost sight of Sasuke. It frustrated her to no end, but he had gone to ground.

It didn't help that Kakashi still seemed to be following her, despite her best efforts to hide herself. At least he was not making any real effort to hide that fact, being clearly audible as he moved through the trees.

_Maybe I need to hide myself_, she considered, then nodded. Dropping into the bush, she lay still as Kakashi passed overhead, apparently missing her completely.

Waiting until the sound died down, she crawled out and resumed her search.

* * *

Kakashi widened his eyes. While he'd known Naruko had done fairly well when in came to tactical training, it seemed she was a little better than the academy scores had indicated.

Instinctively, he moved his free hand to cover the bells. The clone was already reaching for them. Grabbing her wrist, he was just able to deflect her hand from getting them. Sighing, he tossed the clone away.

Straightening up, he looked over at Naruko, who was grinning. Kakashi looked down, and then realized what had happened.

The clone had grabbed his book with her other hand. He hadn't even seen it coming.

* * *

Naruko could hardly believed that had worked. She had honestly expected him to see it coming. She guessed he had assumed that no one would even have thought of going for the book. Of course, a lot of people hadn't thought of her pranks ahead of time, so it probably was the same case.

"Why take my book?" Kakashi asked.

"Why not?" Naruko answered, "After all, if you love it so much to read it while fighting, it must be good." She looked down at it. Apparently the book was something called _Icha Icha Paradise._ She shrugged, opened it, and began to read as her clones kept watch.

A minute later her voice was raised louder than she had ever sounded before.

"WHAT KIND OF PERVERT ARE YOU?"

* * *

Kakashi felt his face grow hot. He didn't like talking about his reading habits (except with one person, but that man was the one who wrote the books in the first place). This was really embarrassing, having to deal with this.

"Uh...sorry?" he asked.

"I should throw this book in the pond!" Naruko declared, raising her arm to do just that.

"Wait! Uh..." Kakashi stammered. _That's a signed copy!_ There was no telling when or if he could get another one.

"You want it back?" Naruko suddenly smiled wickedly, "Well then...give me a bell."

* * *

Sasuke wondered why Naruko had been yelling. If he had to guess, she'd likely just failed somehow.

_One down_, he thought, satisfied. This would make his work much easier.

Since he knew Kakashi would likely come for him soon, it would probably be best if he set a trap. A vine trap, well hidden, would probably do the trick. Once that was finished, all he would have to do would be to wait.

* * *

Naruko watched as Kakashi glanced around, clearly upset. _Wow, he really seems ashamed to be caught being a pervert. Well, it serves him right._

"Fine," he said suddenly, unhooking a bell and tossing it to her. She blinked, as that had been the last thing she had expected. She hadn't even been counting on him giving up so easily.

"Wait...huh?" she blurted. The sound of splashing drew her attention, as the clone she had left hidden in the lake rose to the surface, looking just as confused as she felt.

"If you'll excuse me, I have two other genin to test," Kakashi said, appearing to calm down. In a blur, he darted off into the woods.

_I did it, _Naruko thought, _I actually did it!_ "All right!" she and other clones yelled, jumping up and down. She didn't know exactly how it had it worked out...but she could figure that out later.

* * *

It had taken Kakashi a minute to figure out Naruko's real plan, but once he saw it, he knew there was no way he could fail her with a good conscience. Either she understood the actual point of the test, or she was open to learning that lesson. Since he knew he'd probably have to teach the other two the harder way, it didn't matter which.

He could tell she'd probably been confused, which made sense. After all, she hadn't actually been trying to get a bell. He snorted, reminding himself to never mention this to Guy. He'd never live it down if he did.

For now, Kakashi had to focus on finding Sasuke and Sakura. Fortunately, it didn't take him long before he spotted Sakura. Red was not the best color to wear when trying to hide in a forest, after all.

He turned, and began to follow her.

* * *

Sasuke finished setting up the vine traps, satisfied. There were a ring of them, scattered around the edges of the clearing. Kakashi was sure to be caught by them. He smirked, then settled in to wait. He himself would be the perfect bait.

A sudden twang behind him alerted him one of the traps being triggered. He turned to see...Naruko being caught in one of them. What the...?

Naruko suddenly vanished in a puff of smoke. _A clone? _He didn't have time to ponder this, as the sound of another of his traps going off made him spin again...to see Sakura hanging from that tree. What in the world was going on here?

"Sasuke!" she yelled, "Did...you do this?"

"Hold on," he called out, not happy about catching his teammates - or the clone of one - instead of the intended target. He started forward when he sensed something behind him. He whirled.

It was too late.

* * *

Sakura had never felt so embarrassed in her life.

Not only had she fallen straight into a trap Sasuke had set, but now Kakashi was leading both of them, tied up, back to where the test had begun. _How could I have been so stupid?_ Now Sasuke would think she was absolutely pathetic.

As they walked out of the forest, she looked up to see Naruko, sitting under a tree smiling and tossing something up and down with one hand. Sakura gasped as she realized what it was.

It was one of the two bells.

Sakura looked over at Kakashi, realizing that the side he'd hung the bells on was opposite where she was standing. It was no wonder she hadn't noticed, and no wonder that Sasuke did not look surprised. He'd already known.

She felt so stupid...

* * *

Looking up, Naruko wondered how in the world she had succeeded where Sasuke had failed. She knew Sakura wasn't all that good, but Sasuke?

"Alright, you two," Kakashi told them, having finished tying Sasuke and Sakura to a pair of posts, "I've made a decision. I don't think I'll have to send anyone here back to the Academy."

"Really?" Sakura blurted out.

"Correct," Kakashi nodded, "Simply because neither of you two are fit to be ninja at all."

"What?" Sakura shrieked. Sasuke scowled so deeply that Naruko wondered if his face would freeze like that.

"Look, part of being a ninja is learning to see underneath the underneath," Kakashi said, "Why do you think you were assigned to teams and given this training exam?"

"Huh?" Sakura asked, confused. Naruko herself admitted she wasn't sure what Kakashi was talking about.

"I'm saying there's a point to this test that you are not getting. Naruko got it, so she passed." Kakashi sighed, "If you want to know what it is, you'll have to ask her. Now, Naruko, you can go ahead and eat. After lunch, I'll give you two another chance, but it will be even harder. And Naruko...don't try to feed them, or I'll have to reconsider passing you."

Naruko nodded, not really wanting to fail. At least she thought she got the point that their new sensei was trying to make.

Kakashi walked off, leaving the three of them behind.

* * *

Sakura grumbled, not liking the way this was going. _Listen to Naruko? Not going to happen._

"How'd you succeed?" Sasuke suddenly asked, startling Naruko, who was busy eating. Sakura herself was surprised. She couldn't believe Sasuke was actually trying to get advice from Naruko.

"It's teamwork," Naruko said, swallowing.

"Teamwork?" Sasuke blinked.

"I was trying to divert his attention while I sent-" Naruko began, only to be interrupted by a rustling noise. Sakura looked over to see what it was; it was...Naruko? _Some kind of clone?_

"Uh, sorry, I couldn't find them and..." The clone's voice trailed off when she saw Sasuke and Sakura tied up. "Wait, what happened?" she asked a rising Naruko, who was gritting her teeth. Naruko suddenly threw a kunai at it, and it vanished in a puff, looking confused the whole time.

"As I was saying," Naruko sighed, "I sent clones off to find you two so we could come up with a plan to take down Kakashi together."

* * *

"But that would mean only two of us could pass!" Sakura protested. Sasuke ignored her, thinking hard.

It made sense to pit the three of them against Kakashi. Most genin could not take on a veteran jonin one-on-one. While Sasuke thought that he might could have if he had the element of surprise, not accounting for his teammate's behavior had cost him that.

While he hated to admit it, he needed their help. "Fine then." He said, interrupting Sakura as she ranted at Naruko, "So then, how do we beat Kakashi?"

Naruko smirked, "I have an idea..."

Sakura grumbled something, but Sasuke ignored her again. "So, what's your plan?"

* * *

Kakashi returned to see Naruko standing near Sasuke and Sakura. On seeing him, the young kunoichi began to untie her teammates. Kakashi decided to ignore this minor issue. After all, he technically hadn't told her she couldn't.

"Ready to begin?" he asked. The two nodded as Naruko stepped back out of the way. "Go!" he called out, and the two launched themselves at him.

Sasuke began to form handsigns as he ran forward. Kakashi's eyes widened. _Wait, he shouldn't have the chakra to use that jutsu!_

_"_Fireball Jutsu!" Sasuke roared, blasting out a huge fireball. Kakashi jumped up, readying his own kunai. If what he'd seen was correct...

It was. Sakura sprang at him, kunai at the ready. He easily countered and kicked her down and away...only to realize Sasuke had jumped up in her shadow, hidden from his sight. He readied himself to counter, only to stop as Sasuke threw a single kunai.

Kakashi twisted away from it...only to realize that he wasn't the real target.

* * *

Sasuke watched as the kunai flew. _This had better work..._

It did. The kunai neatly severed the string holding the bell in place, causing it to drop...right into the hands of Sakura. She grinned, and even Sasuke couldn't resist smiling. _What do you know, Naruko's plan worked. _

Kakashi landed, looking them over. "Not bad, but remember, only one of you has the bell. So, it seems that Sasuke..."

His voice trailed off as he saw that Sasuke had pulled out a bell from a pouch. "Looks like we both have a bell. So, do we pass?"

* * *

Looking back and forth between Sasuke and Sakura, who were both holding bells, Kakashi was very confused. _Wait a second..._

Kakashi looked over at Naruko, who was leaning against a tree. Seeing Kakashi staring, she shrugged with a smile on her face. Of course, she had given Sasuke her bell, which means the three of them had planned all along for Sakura to grab the bell off him. It was a pretty cunning plan, and Kakashi knew Naruko had to have had some role in making it.

"Congratulations," Kakashi told them, "You all pass." He paused, letting joy appear on their faces, before adding, "Even if Naruko kind of cheated by helping you."

"Hey!" Naruko protested.

"Those who break the rules are indeed scum," Kakashi said, watching the three pale. He then nodded, "However, those who don't stand up for their teammates are worse than scum. Never forget that."

"Right, sensei!" the three all said simultaneously.

"Now, I suggest you two...go eat. We meet up first thing in the morning. The real work will begin." He walked off, knowing had three strong genin ready to be trained.

_Right, Obito?_

* * *

Sakura walked up to Naruko. She wasn't certain how to say this, but she knew she had to say it.

"I'm...sorry. I really should have been so stupid."

Naruko shrugged, "No problem. We're teammates now, so we've got to stick together."

"It's just..." Sakura blushed, not wanting to tell what she was thinking.

"Yeah, you like Sasuke," Naruko said, "Big deal. I never understood what was so cool about him anyway!"

"You..." Sakura paused, realizing what Naruko had said, "You think Sasuke's not cool? You jerk!" She stormed off, not wanting to admit that she was actually secretly happy, just a little, that Naruko felt that way.

* * *

"So you passed your exam too?" Naruko asked Hinata. The two had met up for ramen, which tasted much better than that lunch Kakashi had prepared.

"Uh...yes," Hinata said, "Sensei had us chasing her while she cast genjutsu and set traps. We finally caught her, though."

"Yeah, mine was about snatching bells from Kakashi," Naruko grinned, "I actually did better than either Sasuke or Sakura!"

"Good job!" Hinata said, finishing off the last of her ramen. Naruko had already eaten her share, which was twice as much as Hinata had.

"Want me to walk you home?" Naruko asked. She knew Hinata tended to get a little nervous walking on her own, especially after dark. Naruko wasn't sure why. It wasn't like the boogeyman was going to come out and kidnap her.

"No," Hinata murmured, "It's that, well...Neji..."

"Oh, he's there," Naruko grumbled. She knew Neji disliked her, and the feeling was mutual. While she would love to punch him in the face, she agreed that would not be a good idea. "Well, guess I'll see you later. Good luck!"

"Thanks, you too." Hinata paid their bill, and left. A minute later, after thanking the shop owner, Naruko left too.

* * *

**Author's Note:** The changes to Naruko's characterization from canon Naruto seem pretty natural to me. Lack of confidence does lead to more planning, or vice versa.

I had to come up with a training scenario that Kurenai would come up with. Since the whole theme of Team 8 is tracking, I made up an idea based around testing that. I know it's not actually canon, but it makes enough sense for me. And that's what should count, right?

Also, yes, Naruko does know Neji already in this story. This will become important later, and you'll see how.

I really need to go back to the first chapter and italicize all the thoughts of people. A project for another time, I guess.

Enjoy!


End file.
